LIBERAL HACKS WHO PRETEND TO BE JOURNALISTS: David “Stretch” Gregory

Meet the Press moderator, Gregory, is a liberal. Which would be of no great concern in the world, except he has some cachet as a trusted name in the news world. As more people tune in for the 2012 election, voters who are otherwise apolitical might see this strapping, young lad and assume from his cadence or the cut of his jib that he’s a trustworthy sort who knows how to balance a budget, employ people, or even something basic, like make a payroll.

Sadly, no. He’s a guy in a suit and tie who pushes gossip and ask questions that cater to his own particular view of the world. Just like the rest of us, except it’s assumed that he’s an impartial observer with no dog in the fight. And that’s the problem: he does have a rooting interest.

Here’s what he said to Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, on MTP (May 15, 2011):

“…you gave a speech in Georgia with language a lot of people think could be coded racially tinged language, calling the President, the first black President, a food stamp President. What did you mean and what was the point?”

By ‘a lot of people’ he means leftist cranks. Look at how Gregory massages the question to move ownership away from him: ‘could be’, ‘coded’, ‘tinged’. He’s unable to say, “you said, ‘food stamp’ president? Is that racist?” Whenever leftists can’t find a direct, observable correlation between language and intent, they now must take benign language, deconstruct it with their undergrad leftist decoder rings, look deep into the hearts of people, and infer prejudicial intent.

The underlying assumption within Gregory’s question is: food stamps = black people. Well, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, as of FY 2006, 33% of those who utilize the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, commonly referred to as food stamps, are African-Americans, representing 39% of the entire African-American population in the U.S. Of those who use food stamps, 43% are Caucasian, equating to 8% of the entire white population. More white people use food stamps than blacks, and white folks have been using food stamps since 1939. Who created the narrative that food stamps is a black thing? And who in 2011 is still perpetuating that notion? Who is the one reinforcing the stereotype?

The take away message from this exchange between Gingrich and Gregory is that the casual voter might infer from Gingrich’s defensive posture that he has something to hide and is likely a racist. Gingrich is correct: there are more people on food stamps today than ever before (43 million). It’s a reflection on the state of the economy and Obama, the man shaping the policy that fostered these conditions. But thanks to Gregory’s leftist hackery and disdain for nuanced arguments Hope and Change shapes American discourse and policy.